Story of a Troubled Outsider
by MissyEefje
Summary: This story will follow the storyline of TLK2: Simba's Pride, but I filled up the gaps that aren't explained in the story. What was Kovu's life like, during his time in the Outlands? And what about the others?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lion King or any of the characters in this story.**

**This is my very first story, so I hope it's not too bad. English is not my first language, so it might be possible there are still some errors in this chapter. Feel free to warn me about them. **

It was over.

Simba had won and he had taken back the throne. But he knew the hardest part was yet to come. He realized that his pride was divided. There were new lionesses that Scar added under his reign. And they were obviously not a big fan of Simba as a king, he noticed. He could see the hatred in their eyes. These lionesses didn't want to fight for him. They only thought of him as Scar's murderer. He sighed, not noticing Nala behind him.

"Hey? What's the matter? Aren't you happy to be home?" she asked him, somewhat surprised.

"It's not I'm not happy to be home, it's just... I defeated Scar, my uncle, who also appeared to be the true murderer of my father. " he replied, as he hung his head.

"You know you had no choice." She whispered . "He would have killed us all. From now on, we can finally live in peace. It's over!"

"I doubt if it's over." Simba sighed again. His big reddish-brown eyes were full of anxiety. "Not sure if you noticed, but Scar seemed to have a lot of followers in our pride. They hold me responsible for his death."

Nala looked down. "I know. When we found out about what happened to your father and what we thought happened to you, he took in a pride from the Outlands, not long after he ascended the throne. These Outlanders are led by Zira, and she became Scar's mate."

They were both quiet for a while. Both of them were thinking about Zira and her pride. Simba first noticed her when he was ready to attack Scar. She was a pale brown lioness that seemed to team up with the hyenas and he would never forget her fiery red eyes. She growled as if _he _was the enemy and Scar the righteous king. Now he understood why.

Nala was thinking of Zira's offspring. When she left, Zira's cub hadn't been born yet. Yet it was there, nearly a few days old. She had no idea if it was Scar's cub, like the other two cubs Zira had given birth to. But it had to be, right?

"What do you think I should do with her?" Simba asked, and Nala heard the doubt in his voice. "Do you think she will be a threat to us and the Pridelands?"

"I'm afraid she will cause mayhem. She and her pride are known to be very violent, or so I heard from the other lionesses. What does your heart tell you?"

Simba sighed, and lay down. He didn't know for sure what to do. He didn't want to exile these lionesses so quickly, but neither did he want to get murdered in his sleep. And Zira looked pretty much capable of doing that.

"I know what we're going to do."

* * *

"Zira, I'm here to announce that you and your pride are expected by the new king." Zazu looked down on her pride with a revolting face. "And a little bathing wouldn't be so wrong."

Zira glared at him. "I never understood why Scar let you live. You would have been a great appetite. "

"Well Madame, if I were you, I would be prepared." And he flew off. The red-billed hornbill always got a chilly feeling when he was around Zira and her lionesses. He found Zira to be even more coldhearted then Scar was... "They truly belonged together." He mumbled, shaking his head.

"You heard what that ridiculous bird said. I wonder what our _king _needs from us." A lioness replied to Zira.

She knew exactly what Simba wanted from her. Now that Scar was no longer around, everything would change. Her whole life would change... She would never be queen. She growled.

"Let's find out."

* * *

"So I heard that you were Scar's mate." Simba made it sound more like a statement than a question. He found it hard to believe that there was someone out there that was able to love his uncle.

"That's right." Zira smiled slyly. "I was, before you came back to kill him. And without _you_ showing up, I would have been the new queen!" She looked provocative at Nala when she said that last sentence, and the pale cream-furred lioness growled at her.

"I didn't kill him. Scar killed my father, his own brother. And he tried to kill me too. He wasn't the right king. You must know that too." He hesitated when he saw her face. It didn't show any kind of reliance in his words.

"Liar!" she became more and more furious. "_You _killed Scar, and therefore I must avenge him! Without you, he would still be alive." She pushed her paws further into the ground.

Simba ignored the last part of what she said. "You know the rule of committing to Scar. If you can't accept me as a king, I must banish you."

"I will _never _accept you as a king! I will do anything that's in my power to stop you from being a king!" She glared at him and suddenly he realized why she had loved his uncle so much; she was just like him.

Realizing that made him sure of what he was going to do. "You leave me no choice. You and your followers will be banished to the Outlands."

Zira looked shocked. "You can't send us back to the Outlands! I have cubs!"

"You heard our new king, so get outta here!" Timon the meercat yelled at her. Zira jumped up to Timon and roared at him. This caused Simba to jump before his friend and he roared back at her. Timon hid behind his best friend, the reddish warthog Pumbaa.

"Leave!" Simba snarled. "And do not ever return!"

"I promise you I will get back at you, Simba. You won't get away with this. I will avenge Scar, even if it's the last thing I do!"

And with those words, she called her pride together and left, carrying her newborn cub with her. Her other cubs, that were too young to realize what was really going on but were old enough to understand that their mother and the king weren't friendly with each other, left with their tails between their legs.

* * *

Nala found Simba lying behind Pride Rock, later that morning. He looked a bit puzzled. She walked towards him.

"You did the right thing, Simba."

He sighed. "I wonder what my father would have done, when he would be in this situation." He looked up at the sky. If only he were here...

"He would have done the same thing, you know that. We were all in danger. Zira was eventually going to kill us, and our future cubs. She is even worse than Scar was." She stared into the sapphire sky, which was slowly fading into black.

Simba was quiet for a few moments. He didn't know what to say. It was all a bit much. He had just taken down Scar, and now he had exiled Scar's mate, along with her pride and her cubs. But when he thought of his father, and how he died in the stampede, all because of Scar, he felt the anger rise inside him. His own uncle had betrayed him. Scar even tried to kill him as well. But he didn't succeed.

Nala lay down and cuddled him. "We are going to lead a great kingdom! Soon, everything will be back to normal. We will have a great life here, without any threats. All because of you. You saved us..."

"I guess you're right." Simba looked uncertain, but then he smiled. "Thanks Nala, I'm so happy we're going to do this together. And I can't wait for a pride of our own!"

"Oooh, Simba..." Nala sighed playfully.

* * *

Zira held her head up high when leaving Pride Rock, as if she could not be touched. But now that they had arrived in the Outlands, her rage had to come out. "How _dare _you, Simba, to banish _me _from the Pridelands!"

There was no food in the Outlands, and there was barely any water. It was even worse than before. The hyenas fled after Scar's death, so there was nothing left. Nothing was able to grow out of the ground and there were bones from all sorts of animals scattered around, from the time the hyenas were still there. The only animals that were still there were termites, the place was filled with the small brown insects. So this is where she had to raise her cubs?

She and her pride found a solid new cave to sleep in, but it wasn't nearly as good as Pride Rock. That night, Zira called all her lionesses to discuss the future.

"My dear pride, as we all know, our beloved Scar is no longer among us. He was murdered by that brute that claims to be the new king!" A loud group of roars was heard from the lionesses. "But, it has been Scar's dying wish to choose his heir that can take Simba's throne and take off where Scar has left! And Scar has chosen his heir."

"So, he chose his son Nuka to be his heir…?" One of the lionesses asked, somewhat surprised.

"I'm not sure if Nuka is capable of being a king..." One other replied, doubting Zira's oldest son.

"Silence!" Zira shouted. She looked down on her few-days-old cub, that was sleeping between her paws. "Scar has chosen Kovu to be his heir. And if he thinks Kovu is capable of becoming a king, then so be it."

Zira saw that some of the lionesses were a bit confused. After all, Kovu was not his son. So why would he choose a stranger over his own son? They all knew that Nuka would not make a great king, but still, it was a bit odd.

"We are going to do it Scar's way, and whoever is against that, can go back to Simba's pride!" But none of the lionesses were about to leave. Besides, Simba would not take them back in, so going back was no option. And she was well aware of that.

"Scar took Kovu in as if it were his own. So he will be treated as his son and no different!" Zira ended her speech.

After her little preach, Zira found a place for Kovu to sleep. As a future king, he would get the best she was able to give to him. If only Scar was still alive... Then they would be able to sleep at a place where they belonged... Pride Rock. But she was certain she would get her old home back. Sooner or later, Kovu would be destined to take the throne. And she would make sure he would succeed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is Chapter 2, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Mother, I caught a mouse, all for you!" Little Nuka shouted happily, wagging his tail from excitement.

"A mouse? Just a lousy mouse? Is that all there is in here? " Zira snarled. She didn't even bother to look at him. She was too busy washing his baby brother.

Nuka looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry mother... I could not find anything else."

"Just go, and take your little sister with you." His mother's eyes came close to spitting fire.

"But I-"

"You do as I say, Nuka!" The small, brown-furred cub took off, a little sad because he tried so hard. But all his mother looked at was his little half-brother. It just wasn't fair. As if that little hairball would ever be able to become king... He barely just opened his eyes! No, Nuka was not very fond of Kovu. Vitani, on the other hand, was really fun to fight with. She was a few months older than Kovu and of course, they were both Scars' offspring.

He snuck up to her. "Hey Vitani, want to play?"

"I don't have time to play, Nuka! I want to catch dinner for mother, but there isn't anything to catch around here." Vitani sighed. "Stupid Outlands, everything is so dead in here..."

"Maybe we should pay a visit to the Pridelands..." Nuka mumbled.

"You know mother doesn't want us to go there! Don't you know anything?" Vitani cried.

"But mother wants to eat, and there's nothing left to eat here. And since I am the oldest, and the smartest, I think we shouldn't hesitate to go there. I bet she would just love a big antelope for once. Maybe she would finally look at me, instead of that little fuzz ball... " He saw the whole picture really vivid, in his mind.

"Oh Nuka, you know you would be a terrible leader. And you can barely catch a field mouse." His sister rolled her eyes.

"That is not true! And I'm going to prove that to you _and_ mother. Just watch me!"

Nuka took off, leaving Vitani behind. He would show both of them just how great he was. He was going to catch an antelope, or even a zebra! He was going to make mother very proud. Maybe even become the chosen one!

Vitani watched him leave. "Idiot..." She murmured.

* * *

Nuka had never known it was so hard to catch an antelope. After an endless walk he finally arrived at the Pridelands. And the differences compared to the Outlands were huge. There was grass everywhere, something that lacked at the Outlands. Nuka didn't know where to look first. Even though he partly grew up at the Pridelands, it kind of felt unreal to be back. Under Scars' reign, conditions weren't exactly great. But Nuka and his mother's pride were in the Outlands for a –so it seemed to him- long time now and every day the Pridelands grew to be even better. After Scar was defeated, the animals came back, and with the animals, the environment came back too. It was obvious that it still wasn't fully restored, but Nuka had to admit it looked much better than it did under Scar.

He scanned the area, but Simba and his pride weren't anywhere near him. And even if they were, he would make sure that they wouldn't notice him. All he was going to do was catch his mother's dinner, and after that he would return to the filthy Outlands. No one would even know he was gone.

"I am going to make mother so, so proud!" he chanted. "I'm going to catch a really big zebra and _I _will become the chosen one! I will become king!"

It wouldn't take too long before Nuka was growing bigger. His manes were already growing, bit by bit. It was just too bad he was such a small lion. His mother said it was because of the fact he never got much to eat when Scar was king. But his mother never blamed Scar for those wretched conditions. She told Nuka that it was the fault of the leaving animals, they did not accept Scar as a king and left. And of course, it was partly Mufasa's fault too. Nuka had never known Mufasa; he only knew it was Simba's father, and that he died a long time ago. And that was the moment Scar claimed the throne.

When he thought about it, he never really knew his own father either. When he was just a newborn cub, Scar was too busy with being a king. He only seemed interested in defeating enemies and ordering the lionesses around. Nuka slept most of the time, or played a little with his tail. He was really happy to have a little baby sister, so he finally had someone to play with. But now, everything was going to change, because of that stupid hairball called his half-brother.

"When I catch this zebra, mother will be so proud, that she will make _me_ the chosen one!" Nuka mumbled while he was looking at the herd of zebras through the tall grass. The herd was feeding itself on grass, while the foals were playing with a broken branch. They had no idea what was about to come. Nuka looked closer at the herd; he had to figure out which of them was the weakest zebra, because the weakest was the easiest to catch. "Just a little closer..." he whispered to himself. He was so busy looking at the herd that he did not notice the little twig on the ground. Suddenly he heard something break underneath his paws. And he wasn't the only one who heard it breaking. One of the zebras looked up, and the others followed, looking in Nuka's direction. Then it all happened so quick; the zebras decided to flee and Nuka ran after them, but being the small, underfed cub he was, he wasn't able to catch even the weakest of them, even the smaller zebras were far ahead of him.

"Shoot!" he cried angrily. He wanted to catch something so bad; he wanted to get noticed by his mother, finally being acknowledged... Maybe he had to try again. Without really paying attention to it, he came closer to Pride Rock. Closer to Simba and his lionesses. But Nuka only had eye for a, so it seemed, new herd of zebras. And this time he would succeed, for sure.

But what he didn't know either was that Simba and his lionesses were hunting too. From the moment Scar was defeated, the grass started growing again and most of the departed animals returned to the Pridelands. It wasn't anything like the Outlands, which was always dry and contained a lot of desert-like terrain and dry areas. Nothing was really able to grow in the Outlands.

"This place is so much better than the Outlands will ever be!" Nuka said to himself. "There's dinner walking right in front of me! I will make my pride oh so proud..."

He approached the zebras, not knowing that Simba's lionesses were also approaching this herd. "I'm almost there... Just a bit further..." and as soon as he was ready, he took one big run, prepared to jump... And got knocked down. His eyes got big when he saw who was responsible for knocking him down.

".. Mother?" he asked, with disbelief in his eyes.

"What were you thinking?You idiot!" she looked really furious. "Simba could have seen you, and you would be done for!"

"But mother, Simba didn't..."

"Did not _what_ Nuka, see you? He's so close I can smell him!" Zira paced up and down, her eyes filled with anger.

Nuka's disbelief changed in fear. Was his mother right? Had he been so close to the Pridelanders? He had to admit to himself he had no idea where he was exactly.

But Zira could easily see Simba from where they were standing. His golden fur was sparkling in the sun, his auburn manes softly blowing through the wind. One of his lionesses just caught an old, weak zebra. She glanced at them, and Nuka saw the rage on her face. Those lionesses caught _her _dinner.

"I was only trying to catch you some dinner..." he said quietly, somewhat upset.

"Did you honestly think you could catch a zebra here in the Pridelands and get away with it?" She taunted. "We have to get out of here, before we get discovered." Nuka followed her, with his scruffy tail between his legs. He felt ready to cry.

After a silent walk that felt as if it took ages, Zira arrived at her pride, followed by Nuka. Zira didn't say a word to Nuka; she just went back to Kovu, immediately. "It's not fair..." he whispered. "Why does he get all of the attention? Why doesn't anyone notice _my _hard work? That little brat is going to know..."

Vitani came up to him, trying to defend her baby brother. "Nuka, he's just a baby. And he's also..."

"Scar's heir, I know, I know." Nuka replied, without letting Vitani finish. "Future king, blah blah. I get it now."

They were quiet for a moment. Nuka didn't quite understand why Vitani wasn't bothered at all about the fact their half-brother would take the throne, and not one of them. Maybe it was because she was a girl, and she wasn't really interested in becoming a queen. The only thing she actually cared about was her mother. In that way, they were pretty much the same. Or maybe she was just too young to understand.

He didn't know. And in all honesty, he didn't care, not really. Not anymore.

* * *

_This chapter was a bit shorter than my first chapter, but the next ones are most likely going to be longer! _


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! I hope everyone likes the story so far... Chapter 3 is ready! And I'd love to get feedback, there's always room for improvement!**

* * *

It took a few months until the Pridelands were fully recovered. Finally, the Pridelands looked almost like how it did under Mufasa's reign. The trees blossomed and the grass had never been so green. The rainy season had just ended and had left the landscape even more beautiful. No one could have ever imagined what took place at these Pridelands, a little less than six months ago. As far as you could see, the peace seemed pretty much restored. Or did it only _seem_ to be peaceful?

At Pride Rock, a princess had just been born. Rafiki couldn't be more proud. The ceremony had ended and he had just left Pride Rock on his way to his home, the baobab tree. The old mandrill shaman moved as fast as his bad knee let him, while chanting. "Asante sana Squash banana we we nugu mi mi apana!" He was so glad that the new cub was born. He was ready to teach little Kiara everything he knew.

"Ooooh, Kiara..." he sighed, smiling. He started painting the newborn cub on the trunk of his tree, next to Simba's drawing.

Suddenly the wind started blowing through his hair, making it all wild. He looked up to the sky.

"Aah, Mufasa! Such a day this has been! Princess Kiara's birth... Another Circle of Life is complete, and the Pride's future is once again secure."

The wind kept blowing, like it, or actually Mufasa, had something to say. Rafiki wondered what Mufasa was up to. Then he saw the wind was scattering some of his markings.

"No! Stop it, stop it, stop it! Mufasa, look what you are doing! The Circle is broken now. Why do you..."

He paused and looked again. Was he missing something? But all of a sudden, he understood. On the edge of the painting, he saw something that seemed to be a black cub.

"So, there's another cub..." he continued. "Where could this cub be...?" He only needed one puff of wind to realize. "Could this be... An Outlander?"

The wind stopped blowing. Mufasa was gone again, leaving Rafiki puzzled. But he knew this; there was trouble, and it was heading their direction.

* * *

Simba looked down on his daughter that was just a few days old now. She looked a lot like him, with her brownish eyes and almost orange fur. He was so happy to become a father. It made him think about how he missed his own father. "Oh father..." he looked up to the sky, hoping to see a reflection of his father. But there was nothing out there, just the ordinary clouds. Nala came up to him.

"I miss him too." She said softly.

"I hope I can make him proud..."

"I'm sure he's proud of you, and of his granddaughter. I can't imagine it being otherwise." Nala nuzzled him. Simba was really glad he didn't have to raise his daughter alone. With Nala by his side, things would be alright.

Suddenly, Nala pinned him down. "Luckily, I'm still stronger than you are!" she giggled.

Simba struggled, but Nala didn't move a muscle. "No fair, you caught me when I was unaware!"

She let go of him and smiled. "You know I've always been the strongest of us two. Don't deny it!"

He licked her cheek. "Of course, you win. But..." he paused before he continued. "I'm still faster than you are!"

"I'd like you to prove that." Nala grinned. "But right now, I have to bathe Kiara."

They nuzzled for a bit and after that Nala left to wash their newborn cub. Simba really hoped that his daughter's life would be easier than his life was when he was a cub. Well, at least Kiara didn't have to deal with a crazy uncle. Simba's only worry was about a certain group of lionesses he exiled. The new group of Outlanders. But he had to admit he hadn't seen them for a long while, and he didn't get alarming messages from Zazu either. But could it really be this peaceful in the Pridelands?

* * *

The time in the Outlands had also passed and Kovu had grown to be quite an adventurous cub. The dark cub loved to go out on his own and explore the area. But the Outlands contained nothing more than desert-like landscapes and swamps and after a short while, he got bored with it. He went up to his big brother that was lying down nearby the pond.

"Hey Nuka, would you like to play?"

Nuka rolled his eyes. "Don't you think I have better things to do than play?"

"Ooh… But I'm so bored…" He sighed, and his emerald green eyes showed disappointment. "There's nothing to do in here!"

"Go bother Vitani. I've got some hunting to do." Slowly he rolled away from his little brother, trying to continue his siesta.

"Really? What are you going to hunt?" Kovu asked. He knew Nuka wasn't really a great hunter.

Nuka got agitated. "That's none of your business, you stinky little…"

"Nuka!" Their mother came up to him. "I need you to watch Kovu for a while."

"What are you going to do mother? Why can't I come?" Nuka asked. "Perhaps I could be really useful!" He tried to show his best smile, ignoring the itchy termites.

"Don't be ridiculous." Zira replied. "I've got some spying to do in the Pridelands. I heard Simba's cub is born. I have to see it with my own eyes."

"Why can't I spy? I'm a great spy, and I'm really fast too, as fast as light if you ask me!" Nuka tried to convince his mother.

"And that worked out so well the last time, didn't it?"

Nuka looked down. He hadn't been to the Pridelands after his little hunting accident. He was only a cub by then. He had gotten bigger and his manes were coming through, even though it wasn't much. He didn't look like Scar at all. Not yet.

Kovu looked from his older brother to his mother. He had no idea what was going on between them.

"But mother… " Nuka cried. Zira ignored him and left with some of her lionesses. Kovu watched them until they disappeared in the high grass that led to the border of the Pridelands.

"Why won't she see how great I am?" Nuka asked himself. "I could be so great if she just gave me a chance!" He looked down on Kovu, who had no idea about Nuka's bitter feelings for him.

"It's all your fault! Why did Scar choose you anyway? You're not even his son. It is not fair." Nuka flopped down and started scratching his back with his paw. Suddenly he stood up again and started walking away with a frustrated expression on his face, his grubby tail wildly moving.

Kovu's ears went flat in his neck when Nuka took off. "Are you leaving me here?" But Nuka didn't listen to him. Kovu only heard him mutter something about termites.

He didn't really know where to go. He wondered where Vitani was. Maybe she wanted to fight with him, or at least help him find a new place to explore. But she was nowhere to be found in the Outlands.

"Would she go to… The Pridelands?" Kovu wondered out loud. He didn't know. Would she? She was the last one to disobey their mother's orders. But where else could she be? He decided he'd take a quick look. That probably wouldn't cause any problems, would it? It was not like he had anything better to do.

* * *

It didn't take long before Kovu reached the Pridelands; the waterhole was close to the borders that separated the dark and deserted Outlands from the peaceful Pridelands. Once he was there, he stared his eyes out. This was so much better than the awful place where he lived. He thought of what his mother always told him before he went to sleep. One day, this would all be his. He couldn't visualize what it would be like to live in a place like this. He also could not imagine what it'd be like to be a king. But his mother told him he was going to learn all of this soon enough.

He wandered around for a while, not really knowing where exactly he was. All he knew was that Vitani wasn't anywhere near him. Where could his sister be? Did she find someone else to fight with? He wondered if there were cubs in the Pridelands. He had never been here before, because mother had forbidden him to go there. She told Scar's murderer lived there and if he would find out about Kovu being Scar's heir, he'd also be done for. But the Pridelands were so big, how would these Pridelanders ever be able to find him? If he would move real quiet...

"Gotcha!" Vitani jumped right into him. Kovu gasped for air.

"Vitani! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Are you crazy?"

She chuckled. "Oh come on, you should have heard me coming… I wasn't that quiet. Besides, I was following you for ages. It was getting boring. What are you doing here anyway? Does mother know you're gone? She doesn't want us to go here."

Kovu took a minute to restore. "I just wanted to know what was out here. Mother always talks so contemptuous about this place."

"Can you blame her for that? Scar's killers live here. Of course she hates it here." She looked at her little brother as if he was stupid.

"I know that!" He sighed, a bit bothered.

"But one day, you will rule over the Pridelands, and mother finally gets the revenge she longed for so bad. And we, we finally get what we deserve!" She looked dreamy when she talked about the future like that. As if it was all very vivid in her mind.

"But I don't think Simba will let us in just like that."

Vitani sighed. "Duh, dummy, you're gonna have to kill him!" She rolled her electric blue eyes at him.

Kovu got scared. "Kill him? Like… Really murder him? But I-I don't know if I can do that."

"What did you expect? That you would just chit chat with Simba and kindly ask him to give up the throne, and he would be willing to do that? I know you can't even kill a fly, let alone a full grown lion. However, since _you _are Scar's heir, _you _are gonna have to avenge him. But don't worry, mother will teach you how to do that. She'll teach you how to fight. You will be just fine!"She giggled when she saw her brother's fearful face. He looked like she just told him something horrible. But she couldn't see how avenging Scar would be horrible. Simba and his pride deserved it, for what they had done to her mother and her pride. And to herself of course, because of Simba she didn't have a father. Her smile disappeared. If it weren't for him, they would still live at the Pridelands. She growled when she thought of that.

Kovu, on the other hand, was thinking about what Vitani said. He knew he had to avenge Scar and he didn't expect that to go easy, but killing Simba gave it a whole other dimension. He didn't know if he was capable of doing that.

"Hmm… Maybe mother should start your training already. I bet it would help." Vitani was thinking out loud. "She trains me too sometimes. So I can take over when something bad happens to her. But you are going to become the future king. Your training will probably be way more intense. For now, I bet I can beat you without even trying." She bragged, and started running away.

"We'll see about that!" Kovu yelled, trying to catch her. But she was right, he couldn't even keep up with her, she was way faster. He stopped and gasped. He knew she was a couple of months older than him, but as Scar's heir, shouldn't he be faster than this no matter what the conditions were? Maybe training wasn't such a bad idea.

A few moments later they were back at their cave in the Outlands. "Man, that was cool!" Vitani giggled, still panting. She saw Nuka lying in the cave. Most likely still angry because their mother didn't want him to go with her to the Pridelands. At least he looked miserable.

"Hey Nuka." Kovu greeted him. "Did you catch anything yet?"

He rolled his eyes at his little half-brother. "If it isn't the chosen one. And where have you been?" He asked, not really interested in the response.

Vitani answered before he could say anything. "That's none of _your _business."

"Yugh, who cares anyway." He pouted and started scratching himself again. "Stupid termites! Why do they always come to me? It's not fair!"

She ignored his nagging. "Have you seen mother? Has she returned from the Pridelands?"

"How am I supposed to know that? I obviously wasn't invited." Nuka was clearly still upset over his mother.

"Ugh. You're useless." She turned her back on him and left. She wondered why Nuka was so ignorant and stupid. She almost found it offensive that she and that idiot shared the same family. Nuka may have inherited Scar's looks, but she definitely got his brains.

Vitani was so lost in her thoughts; she didn't even notice that Zira and her lionesses arrived back at the Outlands.

"This is so perfect!" Zira laughed manically.

"What is, mother?" Vitani asked her when she heard her mother laugh.

"Simba's new cub! It's a girl! This is just too perfect! Did you hear that, Scar?" Even Nuka came outside when he heard his mother speak, with Kovu following behind him.

"Ehh, who is she talking to?" He asked Vitani. He didn't see anyone responding to his mother.

"Scar." She replied, while trying to hear what her mother was saying.

Nuka gasped. "Scar? Where?"He looked around somewhat terrified. Did he become invisible?

Vitani sighed and rolled her eyes at Nuka. "Scar's dead, genius." Was he really that dumb?

"I know that!" He said indignant.

"He is dead, because of Simba! If it weren't for him Scar would still be alive!" They heard the rage through Zira voice. She got that every time she spoke of Simba.

"Kovu must fulfill Scar's dying wish and become the new king of the Pridelands." She climbed a rock and looked over the breathtaking Pridelands.

"Look at the Pride Lands, my dear pride. So green, so inviting. That is our home... That is where we belong. And soon, my beloved Scar... We shall reclaim your kingdom. "

Zira's lionesses roared. Vitani sheered. She could not wait until they were able to leave this awful, rotten place.

Zira grabbed Kovu and nuzzled him. "You are going to make Scar so proud! You have so much of him inside you."

The little brown-colored cub looked at his mother, who seemed very joyful. As if she could already smell the victory. She looked down on him again. "Soon you will be old enough to start your training. Every day brings us closer to ruling over the Pridelands and defeating those treacherous Pridelanders! They have taken everything away from us. They sent us back to this dry and barren place." She continued malicious. "But soon they will know, and learn the consequences of messing with Zira's pride!"

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_Contains deleted scenes._


	4. Chapter 4

**I hope you are all ready for Chapter 4! I'd like to thank my beta, he really helped me out! **

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It was a beautiful morning when Kiara woke up. The sun's beams entered the cave, right onto the little orange-furred cub. She blinked sleepily for a bit but soon remembered what day it was. Today she could finally leave Pride Rock, and maybe even go play in the Pridelands. A bright smile appeared on her face.

"Daddy, are you awake?" She pushed her head against her father's. "Please, daddy!"

Simba slowly opened his eyes. "Daddy, come on! We are going to the Pridelands today, remember?" Her big, reddish-brown eyes blinked a few times. Did her father forget what day it was today?

"Be quiet, Kiara, you're waking everyone up." He stood up and walked out of the cave, stopping to stretch. Kiara followed him. "It's still so early…" he mumbled, yawning.

The cub looked at him with her large, innocent eyes. "But I'm just so excited to go to the Pridelands!"

He nuzzled her. "We're going to the waterhole."

"But you said-"

He laughed when he saw her surprised face. "The waterhole _is _in the Pridelands. Going there will be far enough for today. Remember you are still just a little cub."

"Aww, but daddy…" She looked a bit sad. The waterhole wasn't _that _far away. She sighed. "When can I go to the Pridelands, then?"

Simba smiled. He had to admit to himself that they had the same adventurous spirit. He remembered the places his father took him when he was just a little cub. He also remembered the times he ran off on his own. Or actually, he always had Zazu as his nagging companion. He chuckled when he thought about the times he got rid of Zazu and ran off to the-

"Daddy!" Kiara interrupted him. "Are you even listening to me?"

"You can go when you are old enough." Her annoyance turned into a bright smile.

"Really? All on my own?"

"You're my daughter. You can't go anywhere without an escort, Kiara. Don't you realize what sort of danger you could be in if you're on your own?" He frowned.

"Danger? What do you mean?" She asked curious.

"Never mind, let's go to the waterhole."

On the way to the water hole Kiara didn't know where to look first. In her short life, she hadn't really been off Pride Rock. But now her father finally decided she was old enough to join him to the waterhole. And soon, she would be old enough to explore the Pridelands. She couldn't wait. On their way there she tried to catch butterflies and wanted to chase birds. This was so much better than spending her days at Pride Rock with Timon and Pumbaa, with their endless discussions. She rolled her eyes when she thought of them. Where were they anyway?

"So, we're here. What do you think?" Her father distracted her from these thoughts. "This is where your mother and I played when we were your age."

Kiara looked a bit unimpressed. This was it? This was _the great _waterhole? "Uh, it's…great!" She lied. Oh well, it _did _look quite nice, but it wasn't really more than just a waterhole where all sorts of animals came to drink from the water, or wash themselves.

Simba noticed her downcast expression. "Don't worry. When I was young, all I wanted to do was search for adventures." His tone abruptly shifted, as if he had remembered something important. "But it's too dangerous for a royal cub like yourself to go out on your own in the Pridelands. After all, you are-"

"The future queen, I know, I know," she finished for him.

He nuzzled her gently. "I know it may be a bit early to tell you, but this was what my father always told me. He wanted me to be careful at all times." He gazed at the slightly visible stars. "Being my daughter will mean there's always someone out there that wants to take your place and become queen, or king."

"Really?" She asked him. "Being a queen doesn't seem so fun to me… Why would anyone wanna be king or queen if they could choose?" The little cub stared at her paws, thinking about what she just said.

"My father once told me about the great Circle of Life. It didn't make any sense to me at the time, but now it does." Simba stared off at the horizon for a moment, as though lost in his own thoughts. A small smile began working its way across his face.

Kiara stared at her father. "Why are you smiling, daddy?"

"I was just thinking about showing you our kingdom. Maybe it _is_time already to show you what will be yours, when you will become a queen."

"Really? Cool!" she shouted excitedly and wiggled her tail.

"Alright then, let's go!"

* * *

That evening, Kiara was still a bit bedazzled when she thought of all the things she saw today. Simba had shown her their kingdom, and explained more about his own father and the Circle of Life. She didn't fully understand it yet, but her father said she would when she became queen. Still, it was amazing to see the full Pridelands. But there was some other place that drew her attention.

"The Outlands…" she mumbled. "I really wonder what's out there…"

Her father didn't say anything about those lands; in fact, he ignored her questions about it. But she did notice his eyes, which darkened every time she tried to start a conversation about it. She looked over the Pridelands to that dark spot, at the back of the glorious kingdom. Would any kind of animals live there? And why did it seem so dead? It contained almost nothing that would resemble someone's home; there wasn't a decent tree as far as she could see.

"So how was your day, Kiara?" The little cub was so engrossed in her thoughts she didn't even notice her mother sitting beside her.

"Oh… Hi mom. Yeah, it was really cool to see the Pridelands!" Kiara nudged the older lioness.

"I'm glad you liked it. Your father told me he thought it would be best for you to start learning about our kingdom already." Nala smiled at her daughter, but soon something changed. Her expression was the same, but Kiara was reminded of her father earlier; her mother's eyes didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular. Suddenly, Nala let out a deep sigh.

"What's wrong mom?"

"It's nothing, Kiara. I was just thinking of your grandfather." She gazed at the sky that was darkening. The stars became visible, high up to the sky. "Did your father tell you about the Great Kings of the past?"

"Uh, well, sort of…" Kiara replied, a little confused.

Nala continued gazing at the stars. "Your grandfather, Mufasa, is up there too. Whenever you feel alone, or when you need help, just look at the stars. He will be there to guide you."

The orange-furred cub still felt a bit puzzled. She had looked at the stars before, but could it really be possible that there were kings up there? Were they watching her? Right now?

"Well, it's time for you to go to sleep now. Who knows what tomorrow might bring..." Nala said softly, nuzzling her again.

"Goodnight, mom." She smiled. It had been a long day and she had to admit she was pretty tired. She lay down and curled up. As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Almost, almost there…" Kovu whispered. "Just a little bit closer. And… Gotcha!" The grown cub smiled and opened his paws to reveal the insect he just caught. He released the bug from his grasp, and it tried to fly away. But it didn't get very far.

"Kovu! Why did you let it go? What were you thinking?" Zira slapped the insect back on the ground, killing it. Her son watched her in fear.

"B-But mother… He wasn't hurting anyone…" he stuttered.

Zira let out an angry growl. "There's no room for weakness, my son! Scar took you in as if you were his own. You can't let him down because you're too afraid to hurt something."

"I know, mother. I'm sorry…" Kovu stared at the ground, letting out a quiet sob.

"Didn't our little training help you at all? Sooner or later, you're going to have to kill Simba. Do you have any idea what would happen when you are too afraid to hurt _him_?" Zira hissed. "Have I taught you _nothing_?"

"I'm sorry, mother… Next time-"

She interrupted him. "If you don't finish what you started, there might not be a next time!"

He sniffled, and knew what was coming next.

"You know who made us Outsiders, and took away our beloved king. Or don't you know whose fault it is?" Zira's eyes narrowed.

"Simba, you told me, it is his fault! I'm so sorry, mother! I won't be weak anymore, I promise!" Kovu rambled, sorrow coating his every word.

"You still have a lot to learn, my son. But don't worry, for I know you will. Now, I have to take care of some things, so Nuka will take care of you." She started, calling out for his big brother.

In the past few, Nuka had grown from a sulky, grubby cub into a grouchy, grumbling adolescent. Basically, the only thing that changed was his height. Even his mane hadn't come through. And he _still _suffered from termites.

"What is it, mother? Something important, finally?" He rolled his eyes at Kovu.

The lioness ignored his sarcastic greeting. "I need you to watch out for Kovu for a bit. I'll be back at dusk."

Nuka let out an annoyed sigh. "Can't that little termite learn to be on his own already? Say, when I was his age-"

His mother growled at him causing him to cringe.

"I-I mean, of course I will watch him for you, mother! No problem! It's not like I was doing something useful, like training to be king or something…" He whispered his last sentence.

Kovu blinked when his mother left. Maybe she was right. Maybe he should be tougher. Yes, he would prove his mother that he could be tough, too. Just like his brother and sister. He didn't need anyone! He was going to take care of himself.

Nuka didn't even bother when he saw Kovu leaving. "Whatever…" he mumbled, while watching the cub fade from view. "That termite should learn to take care of himself anyway."

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**I hope you all enjoyed it! Feel free to review to tell me what you think. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! Are you guys ready for chapter 5? I'm sorry it's a bit late, I have had an intense week so far, lots of stuff happened. And I am afraid that chapter 6 will be late as well, because my exams are coming up and I still have a lot of studying to do!**

**I personally really like this chapter, even though it was hard to write. I hope y'all like it!**

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Kovu had walked for so long that he didn't even know where his home was anymore. But it didn't matter; the little brown-furred cub was going to prove to his mother that he could take care of himself. He may be small, but he already had a dark-brown tuft of hair on his head, meaning it wouldn't be too long before his mane would come through. He couldn't wait until he was full-grown. His mother was already training him to become a king, and rule over the Pridelands.

He arrived at a place in the Outlands that was almost more pathetic than its surroundings. It was full of rotten trees and the ground was all dirty and muddy. Nearby was a dead swamp. He smirked. Soon, this would all be over…

Kovu started looking around him. He noticed he was close to the border with the Pridelands. He could easily see the Serengeti's trees blossoming and wildebeests were playing amongst them. His belly grumbled. _Gods, I'm so hungry_…

He had to eat something. But what? He didn't know if he was able to catch a wildebeest, or an antelope. Maybe he should just go home; it wasn't the first time he took off all alone -Nuka never watched him when he was supposed to- but he felt slightly uncomfortable around here.

Suddenly he got knocked down by something. "Ugh!" he blinked a few times, recovering from the fall. What was that?

When Kovu looked up he saw a small, orange-furred cub. She looked healthy and well-groomed; clearly a Pridelander. For a brief moment he wondered if she had any idea where she was. He jumped up and snarled at her, causing her to move away with her ears pinned back.

"Who are you, Pridelander?" he growled confrontationally at the frightened cub, and tried to approach her. The unknown cub flinched and he could tell he scared her, so he snarled again.

The cub didn't answer, but jumped from side to side, facing him at all times. He continued making guttural sounds for a moment, but soon his curiosity got the better of him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My father says to never turn your back on an Outsider!" she yelled at him.

"You always do what Daddy says?" Kovu said mockingly.

"No!"

"Bet you do! Bet you're Daddy's little girl!" This felt like a chance to show how independent he was, at least in comparison to this she-cub. He smirked and moved away, counting on it that the Pridelander would follow. He hopped on the logs of the dead swamp. "An Outsider doesn't need anybody. I take care of myself!" He sat down with a smug look on his face. He'd shown her!

She indeed followed him across the swamp. "Really?" she said in awe. "Cool!"

He turned his head, ready to impress her with his independent Outsider life, when he saw a giant crocodile behind her, mouth open and poised to strike.

"Woah!" he screamed when he saw the huge reptile approaching, and the little cub did the same thing when she turned around.

"Run!" she yelled back at him. They jumped on the rocks trying to escape the crocodile, but that was easier said than done. The beast came after them immediately, ready to get them for lunch.

"This way!" The monster roared and nearly caught them, but the young cubs were able to escape him and managed to flee through the rocks. For a moment, it seemed like the crocodile was gone. They both panted, relieved that they beat the crocodile.

"That was a close one." Kovu giggled.

"Yeah…" the female cub replied, still panting.

Suddenly the rock on which they were sitting started moving. They looked at each other in despair. It seemed they had been sitting on an even larger crocodile, and it wasn't just one, there were many of them! This swamp wasn't as dead as it seemed.

"Whooaaahhh!"

One of them tried to eat Kovu, but he managed to get away, leaping from crocodile to crocodile through the swamp, and he was almost safe. But the orange-furred cub was stuck in a tree limb, and didn't dare move any further.

"Hey… W-what about me?" she cried.

Kovu looked at her, and decided he could not leave her behind.

"I'll distract them!" he shouted back at her. He jumped on another crocodile but realized too late that he had just jumped on his tail, causing him to slip off and fall into the water. The female looked worried at the spot Kovu had just disappeared in. But she was too busy fighting the crocodiles off herself.

He came up gasping for air. He was paralyzed with fear when he noticed the brutes were all aiming for him.

"Look out!" the cub yelled at him. She swiped one of the creatures and leaped on another's gaping mouth, causing it to clamp shut. "Move it!"

Kovu saw his chance and climbed up a tree branch. His companion followed him up the branch onto the bank, where they were fully safe from danger. They both panted for a few moments, realizing they finally escaped from the vicious creatures below them. Kovu walked up to the edge and looked at the crocodiles below. They were massing, and furious at being cheated of their meal. But that wasn't important anymore.

"I did it… I did it!" the Pridelander giggled and she stuck out her tongue at them.

"Hah!" Kovu laughed. Maybe this Pridelander was cooler than he thought. They moved back from the edge to recount their adventure.

"Whoah, man- Did you see the size of those teeth? They were going 'rrrarrarrarr'!" The cub rolled on her back and continued giggling and imitating the crocodiles. Kovu looked questioning at what she was doing. But then he smiled. They were so different, but yet they were almost exactly the same.

"He was just totally eating you up right there, and I jumped on his head- and I bumped him so good! We make such a good team! And you…" she paused a moment before she continued and he stared at her, as if unsure about what she was going to say. "You were really brave!"

He almost felt like blushing, but he got himself together before she noticed. "Yeah…" he mumbled. "You were pretty brave too. My name's Kovu." He introduced himself proudly.

"I'm Kiara." She leaned out to him, which made him feel very uncomfortable. Then she crouched down playfully, waving her tail. Kovu shrunk back, shocked that she came so close towards him. What was she doing?

All of a sudden Kiara batted him. "Tag! You're it!" she jumped back and laughed. But Kovu just stared at her in silence, still not certain about what she was doing. Was she planning on attacking him or something?

She tried again. "Tag, you're it! You're it!" she stopped laughing when she noticed he looked a little irritated. He still didn't speak.

She walked up to her newfound friend. "Hello? You run, I tag... get it?" She started to get annoyed. "What's the matter? Don't you know how to play?" Kovu just sniffled.

Then Kiara crouched down and growled playfully at him, moving from side to side and baring her teeth. This time Kovu got the idea and smirked. He could handle this; this was more of his style. Immersed in their new game, he returned her gestures, only to find himself threatening a huge, golden leg.

* * *

Kovu felt like he was having a heart-attack when a huge lion jumped in front of his new friend and roared at him. This lion had a golden fur and auburn-colored mane, and his reddish eyes were filled with hate. Suddenly his mother came out of nowhere and roared back at the lion. Kovu noticed Kiara was just as frightened as he was. What was going on?

"Zira," the lion snarled. Kovu heard an intense dislike in his voice.

"Simba," his mother responded menacingly. Was this Simba? He had heard a lot about him, but he had never seen him before. And he didn't regret that.

He noticed his mother was ready to attack Simba, but in a short time she was surrounded by lionesses, which forced her to abandon her plan. She let out a silent growl, and which the lionesses countered with their own.

"Nala." Zira almost sounded arrogant.

"Zira." The lioness named Nala replied in a patronizing way. It was a cream-colored lioness with blue-greenish eyes.

"Timon, Pumbaa." The meerkat, that was safely on the back of a warthog, pointed to himself and his warthog friend. "Great, now that we all know each other, GET OUT OF OUR PRIDELANDS!" The meerkat yelled at Kovu's furious mother.

"Your Pridelands?" She turned herself to them and snarled. Timon leaped backwards in the tuft of hair from his warthog-friend Pumbaa.

She turned back to Simba and his pride. "These lands belong to Scar!"

"I banished you from the Pridelands! Now you and your young cub... Get out!" Simba snarled as he was coming closer to Zira. Kovu got more scared with each passing moment. What if they ended up fighting? He could see that Kiara feared the same thing. Suddenly he wondered if Simba was her father. He came to the inevitable conclusion. That means I've just met the King's daughter…

"Oh... Haven't you met my son, Kovu?" Zira had a devilish grin on her face. "He was hand-chosen by Scar to follow in his paw prints...and become King!" She said fiercely and looked down on him. He looked back at his mother, trying to hide the terror in his eyes. She taught him to never show any kind of fear, but he had a hard time keeping it together. He just couldn't help trembling when Simba growled at him again.

"Pfff! That's not a king; that's a fuzzy maraca!" Timon mocked him.

Zira chose to ignore the small meerkat and continued. "Kovu was the last born before you exiled us to the Outlands, where we have little food…less water..." She tried to make Simba feel guilty about the miserable position he put them in, but he didn't give in.

"You know the penalty for returning to the Pridelands," he stated.

"But the child does not!" She exclaimed. "However, if you need your pound of flesh...here." Zira nudged Kovu towards Simba, daring him to attack her son. Kovu felt like collapsing when he saw Simba glaring at him. _Please don't hurt me, please…_

Simba got a little confused as he looked down on the small cub. Zira smiled wickedly, almost waiting for him to attack her son. But he didn't.

"Take him and get out. We're finished here." He turned his back on the older lioness and grabbed Kiara. But Zira didn't approve of anyone turning their back on her.

She snuck up to Simba and looked down on Kiara, who was as frightened as he was. "Oh no, Simba… We have barely begun," she glared wickedly at Simba's cub again, and then turned away to get her son.

Kovu watched Kiara for the last time, dangling in her father's mouth.

"Bye…" she mumbled softly, her eyes looked sad.

"Bye…" he responded, carried away by his own mother.

* * *

That night was a beautiful one. Not a cloud in sight, allowing thousands of stars to illuminate the skies…but Simba was blind to the beauty of the night. All he could think of was his encounter with Zira, the evil lioness he had exiled from the Pridelands some time ago. Now she was back, and aiming for revenge. And she brought a little cub; one she was evidently raising to succeed Scar…that thought alone frightened him more than almost anything else. Except losing Kiara, or Nala.

"What are you doing out here, at this time?" Speak of the devil.

"I was just…watching the stars," he lied to his mate, and instantly felt guilty for it.

"Then why were you staring at your paws?" She got him; he should have known better.

"You're worried about Zira," Nala asked rhetorically, "and her cub, aren't you?"

"Who knows what she might do to Kiara…" he looked at her helplessly.

Nala looked at him. "You and I both know our daughter. She handled herself well today, just like you did when we were young. She is brave."

Simba looked down again, thinking about what his mate just said. "I just want her to be safe. I don't want her to have a troubled past…like I do."

She nuzzled him, trying to comfort him. "So do I. But we can't let Zira ruin her life. Kiara needs to explore the Pridelands without someone marking the path before her."

Simba nodded, something of a smirk growing. "Perhaps, but I think we should send more patrols near border with the Outlands. I don't want to take a risk."

Nala smiled, and licked his cheek softly. "Zira won't get a chance to hurt us, honey, and neither will her son."

That was another issue that Simba was concerned about. "Yes, her son… What was he doing in the Pridelands? Do you think he was after Kiara?" His voice was loaded with suspicion.

"I don't think so. You saw with your own eyes how scared he was of you. He was probably just lost." She paused for a bit, looking at her mate whilst he tried to process it all. "Well, it's been an exhausting day; are you coming with me to the den? It's time to rest." There was a hopeful glint in those gorgeous, blue-green eyes that he had great difficulty resisting.

"I… eh, I'll be there soon," he replied, his unsettled heart just catching his automatic 'yes'.

She smiled tenderly, nuzzling him again in a similar manner. "It's going to be alright," she said assuredly, before she walked away.

"I doubt it…" the King mumbled. He looked up to the skies, and finally noticed the countless stars above him.

"Father…" He pleaded. "I'm so lost. I just don't know what to do about Scar's followers. Please, help me! I need you…"

But the skies were silent. There wasn't even a breeze to break it. Simba sighed and hung his head. He had to figure out a plan on his own. But he was certain about one thing. As he walked into the den, he looked at his friends Timon and Pumbaa, who seemed to be fast asleep. As always, Timon was snoring softly in his sleep and Pumbaa seemed to be dreaming about bugs, licking his lips in his sleep with a satisfied grin. Next to them lay Zazu, who was murmuring about all sorts of royal stuff in his sleep. The golden lion smiled; he felt like a perfect plan was coming together.

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_Reviews are sure appreciated, even as suggestions for new chapters! What would you like to have explained about Kovu's life, or which character would you like to read about more? _


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! I'm sorry I kept you all waiting for so long, my schedule has been really busy! But now I finally found the time again. I hope you all like this chapter, it was hard for me to write and I have rewritten it completely after I was finished because I didn't like how it turned out. But now I am quite satisfied, and I hope you are too.**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to hit that review button!**

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"Slimy!"

"No, crunchy!"

"Ohh, Timon, how can you like the crunchy ones? They sound so disgusting when you bite them in little pieces."

"How can _you _like the slimy ones? They taste like snot!"

"And how do you know that?"

"I'm just assuming!"

Simba heard his friends, the meerkat Timon and the warthog Pumbaa, discussing what kind of insect was more satisfying. He smirked. They had had this argument ever since he had first met them, and neither of them ever won.

"What are you guys doing?"

Timon looked up to his golden-furred friend. "It's a good thing you're here. Please explain to Pumbaa why crunchy bugs are so much better than slimy ones. He just doesn't seem to get it." He let out an exasperated sigh.

"What do you think, Simba?" Pumbaa blinked, hoping Simba would take his side.

"Gee, I don't really know," he responded, hiding his grin. "But that's not why I'm here."

Timon and Pumbaa stopped arguing. "So, what brings ya here, pal?" Timon asked. "Is there something we can do for you? Find you some _crunchy_ grubs, perhaps?" He gave his warthog friend a dirty look.

"Well, yeah, there _is _something you can do for me…" Simba stared at his paws, he still felt a little uncomfortable to ask them for tasks. The two stared back at him. "Could you two maybe…watch Kiara for a bit? The lionesses are out for a hunt and I have to go on patrol soon. I'm afraid that Zira and her pride might strike, since Kiara is still rather young." He growled as Zira's name stung his tongue. "Oh and please, make sure she doesn't see you."

"At your service, Sire!" Pumbaa shouted happily. He just loved to look after his 'niece'.

"Don't worry about a thing! We've got it under control. Hakuna Matata, right, Pumbaa?"

"You got it, Timon!"

"There is one more thing..." Simba smiled uncomfortable.

"What is it, Simba? Are you afraid we will lose her out of sight... Again?" Pumbaa looked guilty. "It was only an accident! Won't ever happen again!"

"You mean _you_ will lose her again!" Timon sniffed. "What is it, friend?"

"Zazu is coming with you." Their jaws dropped, and he hastily continued," just to be sure nothing bad can happen! He can spot danger from miles away."

"That snobby blue bird? Are you kidding us?" Timon asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Please, guys, I can't take a risk right now. Who knows what Zira is planning as we speak..." His gaze darted suspicoiusly, expecting for Zira to pop up any minute now.

"Well, it's going to be a heavy burden, but I guess we don't have a choice." The meerkat let out a deep sigh.

"Thanks guys. I owe you big time." He smiled, happy at how well his plan had worked.

"You sure do…" Timon mumbled irritably.

Just then, Zazu landed at Simba's paws. "At your service, Your Highness."

The King gave him an approving nod. "Don't let her out of your sights. I know my daughter; this is her first day on her own again after her punishment." He was almost sure she would find her way to danger again.

Timon noticed his worried expression. "Don't worry pal, we'll be on her! Well, not literally."

Simba smiled, and he could only hope he made the right decision. Nala absolutely couldn't know about this, she'd be furious. She was all about freedom for their daughter, free to make her own mistakes and learn from them. But he just couldn't risk it; not with those Outlanders skulking around for his little princess.

* * *

Kiara had never been happier to go out on her own again. At last, her punishment was over! She realized that what she did was wrong, but the one thing she didn't understand was that her parents didn't let her play with that cub she met while she wandered through the Outlands. Finally she found someone to play with! Even though Kovu didn't really seem to know what tag meant. But he hadn't hurt her or anything, so why wasn't she allowed to play with him?

"Mom? Can I go play in the Pridelands?" She yelled at her mother, who was still asleep after the hunt from last night.

Nala blearily opened her eyes and yawned. "Sure honey, but remember, be careful around here." She said sleepily as her daughter nuzzled her.

"I will!" Kiara looked at her mother one last time before she darted off, and took in the warm, proud smile on the lioness' face. Unlike the concern she could always see in her Daddy's expression, she could tell her Mom knew she would be fine.

The little cub loved to be out in the Pridelands again. As part of her punishment she was only allowed to go to the water hole and back, and often she wasn't even allowed to go alone...

_So, what am I going to do first?_

She looked over the immense lands that would one day belong to her. The weather was great; the trees blossomed, the grass looked as if it had never been greener and she could not spot a cloud up in the sky. It was obvious today was going to be a beautiful day. But still, Kiara wasn't happy; she just felt lonely. She wondered what Kovu was doing... The Outlands didn't look sunny at all from where she was standing. When she thought about it, the Outlands _never_looked sunny; it just looked barren and dead.

Suddenly the cub got an idea. Maybe, just maybe, she could bring Kovu to the Pridelands to play with her. Would she be able to bring him here, without anyone noticing? She looked around her, and her eyes rested on the den. The lionesses were still resting from their hunt, and were most likely planning on resting until dusk. So they wouldn't be a threat to her plan. When she thought of it, she hadn't seen Timon or Pumbaa either today. They had left the cave early this morning, along with her father...

_Oh gosh, Daddy! What was he doing today?_ She tried to remember. Perhaps they went to the water hole? No, going there wouldn't take that long. She ploughed her paws through the sandy ground. All of a sudden she remembered again; he went patrolling today! That was it, she was certain. Plus he probably took Zazu with him. So as long as she didn't run into her father today, she would be able to bring her cub friend over! Her heart made a joyful jump. This would be totally awesome!

Her days alone were over.

* * *

Pumbaa was the first to notice Kiara was gone.

"Eh, Timon?" he asked.

"What?" his companion drawled, busily digging grubs out of a rotting trunk near Pride Rock. He just found a plump, crunchy grub. "Dinner time!"

"Uhh, I was just gonna say that it seems like Kiara left." He shifted uneasily on his hooves.

"Doesn't matter, we have Zazu now, he can go spot her for us, and that saves us time for dinner!" Timon replied. He could almost taste the crunchy insect, it looked so good...

"Absolutely not!" Zazu shouted indignantly. "The King demanded that we were to do this together."

Timon put down his meal. "Are you kidding? Why can't you just keep an eye on her? I'm starving!"

The King's major-domo sighed. "Why am I stuck with you two? This just isn't going to help."

Pumbaa looked from Timon to Zazu and back. "He's right Timon, we promised Simba we would look out for his daughter."

"All right, all right, we're going." He watched his tasty grub for the last time, it angrily crawled away. "But you'd better find me a bigger one tonight!"

* * *

In the meanwhile, Kiara was coming closer to the border of the Outlands. She wondered how big the Outlands really was, after all, she only spend a small moment being up there. Would she be able to find her new friend? Or would he find her first? The only thing she really hoped for was that she didn't run into his mother...that lioness scared the wits out of her.

The little orange cub stopped moving to see where she was exactly. She didn't recognize the place at all. It all looked so very much alike... She turned her head back and saw Pride Rock. At least Pride Rock was a recognizable place, huge and solid and she would always find her way back to there. How would these Outsiders find their way back home? Kiara had lived on Pride Rock all her life; she had no idea what it'd be like to live in a place like the Outlands. And she was happy she had no idea, because it was a really scary-

"And just what do you think you are doing here?" An angry voice landed next to her, and she suddenly felt on edge.

"Zazu!" Kiara tumbled down from fright. "W-What are you doing here?"

"That funny, I was about to ask you the very same question. Are you out of your _mind_?"

Kiara looked down on her paws. "I was j-just... Err..." She saw Timon and Pumbaa in the distance, coming her way. "Hey, are you guys following me?" She asked in disbelief.

"Be glad that we did," Zazu replied authoritatively. "Who knows what could have happened!"

A breathless Pumbaa finally approached Kiara. "P-Princess! It's a g-good t-thing we..." took a few long gasps before finishing, "...found you!"

"I beg your pardon." Zazu eyed both of them. "If it wasn't for me, she would have been who knows where!"

"What are ya doing out here anyway?" Timon asked, ignoring Zazu.

Kiara sighed. "I just... Nothing. I wasn't doing anything."

"Good! Very good! Then you probably won't mind if we go back to Pride Rock to continue doing nothing right there." The major-domo's bright tone was daring her to refuse.

"I guess..." She responded, while her eyes rested on the Outlands. She was so close...

* * *

Zira was watching the King's daughter and her companion from a distance, with Kovu right beside her. They saw how the Princess left with the King's Majordomo. The pale lioness smirked.

"What is it, mother?" her dark-colored cub asked.

"Simba's cub is so gullible. She has no idea that, sooner or later, trouble is coming for her. Both her _and_her father." Zira couldn't get the smirk of her face when she thought of the idea the Pridelands would soon be theirs again.

"I'm still not sure about this, mother," Kovu whispered, hesitation spearing his voice.

"I have given you the perfect opportunities. This is what Scar would have wanted!" His mother snarled, but suddenly her expression softened. "You are our Prince, our hope to a better future. My precious son…" She gave him a smile that seemed warm despite her leering eyes, and ran her forepaw along his back, her unsheathed claws ruining any soothing quality.

Kovu was still uncomfortable when he thought about his mother's plans. It was the first time in his life he really impressed someone, that there was actually someone looking up to _him_. And not because of _what_ he was, but _who_ he was. The young cub really liked that feeling, but his mother didn't care about how he felt. All she wanted was revenge.

"Kovu, are you even listening to me?" His mother sounded agitated.

"Erm, yes Mother, I was just thinking about your plan," he answered nervously.

"It's not my plan, it's _our_plan; you came up with it. Every day I see more of Scar in you. He would have been so _proud_…"

Kovu shivered, guilt oozing through his small, underfed frame. If only he had kept his mouth shut about wanting to be friends with Kiara… He watched her as she was moving further away from the Outlands, and from their hiding spot he could hear her mumble to the reddish warthog. The cub wondered why she came to close to the Outlands. Was she…? No, that couldn't be. He never spent time with anyone, he only dueled with his sister Vitani and the rest of his time was filled up with training. Hours upon hours of intensive training. He felt exhausted at the end of every day, but he was really improving. He had gotten much faster since his training had begun, and today his mother wanted to teach him how to hunt. It was going well, until they bumped into the King's daughter and her escorts.

"We have to leave now, my son. Simba can't be far away. He'd better not find us here; you are far from ready to take him down." Zira looked around, and Kovu could have sworn his mother's eyes looked more even fiery than usual. He sure hoped it wasn't hereditary

"Yes Mother." He looked at Kiara one last time, and for a second he felt a strange ache in his stomach that he just couldn't place. But in his mind he already made his decision. He had to avenge Scar; he had to take the throne. There was no other way than to eliminate the ones that were standing in his way. Without Simba, Scar would still be king and Kovu had to take back what Simba had stolen from them. He only hoped that when the time had come, he would be brave and strong enough to do it.

* * *

"Sire, I must speak with you."

Zazu felt compelled to tell Simba about Kiara's attempt to run off to the Outlands. She reminded him so much of the young Simba, who was also bound to explore everything that wasn't his to find. But he didn't know how to break the news.

"What is it, Zazu? Is there trouble in the Pridelands again?" Simba looked alarmed.

"Oh no Sire, that is not what I wanted to tell you."

The King relaxed a little. "What's the matter?" He asked his major-domo.

"It's Kiara that worries me. She's not that hard to follow, really." He added when he saw Simba's fearful face. "It's just that she is even more adventurous than you were at her age. I'm worried that she will find her way to those barren Outlands again. Today we caught her on what I presume was her way there."

Zazu read a mix of confusion and doubt on Simba's face, and the lion sighed. "I knew it. She is just like I was, Zazu; bound to run off as soon as she gets the chance. What if I can't keep her safe?"

"Of course you can protect her, Sire! Perhaps it's time to start her royal lessons, and for Nala to begin teaching her to hunt. That way we can keep a close eye on her."

"Maybe that's it..." Simba sighed and monitored over the Outlands. As always, it just seemed deserted. He wondered what drew Kiara to that awful place. But quickly he came back in reality; she was exactly like him. Always on a path that lead to danger. It was almost like a curse, really. He still remembered all the places in the Outlands that he had visited when he was a cub, including the horrifying elephant graveyard.

"Do you remember what it was like when you had to watch me all the time?" The golden-furred lion asked him, while he smirked when he thought of what he put Zazu through.

"Oh, how could I ever forget, you were every babysitters nightmare! I was the only one that could keep up with you and Nala. All those times the two of you ran off… Total nightmare, it was. But you just can't say no to Mufasa." The hornbill looked dreamy, clearly deep in thought.

"Do you remember that one time, when we ran off to the elephant graveyard?" Simba asked him, glancing at the bird. "Fun was the only thing on my mind, and I didn't see danger coming until it hit me in the face." He felt heat return to his eyes when he thought of the elephant graveyard. He was soon struck by the image of a great, golden lion, plummeting towards a stampede of wildebeest…

"Oh yes, I surely remember that. My word, that's something that I will never forget. That chase, those _hyenas_… If only I hadn't warned Mufasa, we wouldn't be standing here right now. Yes, that was quite the adventure… One I prefer to never happen again." The usually composed bird fought a sniffle.

"Can I ask you something?" Simba stared at his paws, trying not to think about the day at the gorge.

"Of course you can, Sire. You're the King! You can ask anything you want."

He looked up from his paws and looked Zazu in the eye through a thin film. "What do you remember most of my father?"

The hornbill didn't have to think long about his answer. "I remember how brave he was, he would do anything to guarantee your safety. You were his everything. All the things he did…he did it all for you. That was what made him such a good lion. His family was his main priority."

Simba sighed and looked up to the stars. "I miss him, Zazu. I still wonder if I can make it on my own…"

"We all miss him, Sire. But you have always been a worthy heir, and you have proven to be a great King." Zazu tried to comfort him.

The King smiled. He knew that Zazu wasn't very fond of him when he was just a cub; he always drove him crazy with his endless games. "Thanks, Zazu. I think it's time we go to sleep now. Tomorrow will be another busy day. I'll see you at dawn for the morning report."

The bird nodded and flew off to the den, leaving Simba behind on Pride Rock. The lion looked at his realm; it looked so serene and peaceful, he almost struggled to believe that evil sheltered so close to his Kingdom. He hadn't had anything about Zira or any other Outlander after their encounter, but still he had his concerns.

And soon, much sooner than one could expect, he would learn that his concerns were not misplaced…

* * *

**Hope you all liked it! Chapter 7 will be up a lot sooner, promise!**

**And of course thanks to my beta, he did a wonderful job!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone, are you ready for chapter 7? I wrote this in a few hours while I was stuck in my bed due to a fever and I'm pretty satisfied with the outcome! This chapter will completely evolve around Kovu, as some of you requested. Have fun reading it and let me know what you think!**

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* * *

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"You have to be faster to beat me, Vitani! Is this all you got?" The dark-furred lion with a still-growing, dark-brown mane was teasing the bright-colored lioness who was trying to keep up with him. But she couldn't; he was remarkably faster than she was.

"Maybe I have to be faster, but I don't have to be stronger to catch you!" She smiled and looked at something that was behind him. He raised an eyebrow and wondered what she was looking at, but he didn't get much of a chance to find out.

"Oempfh!" Another, darker-pelted lioness let him trip, before putting her paws right on his chest so he couldn't get up. He tried kicking her with his hind legs, but she managed to keep him down while smirking at his efforts.

"Kovu! What have I taught you about awareness? The enemy could be lurking behind every rock!" The elder lioness looked furious and her growl matched. "You can let him go now." She added, and the dark lioness released him.

"I'm sorry, mother. It's just… We've been training all day now. It's hard to keep focusing, and I'm really tired," he let a yawn escape to emphasize his point.

"You don't have time to rest! With this kind of mentality you'll never be strong enough to kill Simba!" Her agitated tones almost removed his tiredness, but it returned with his indignation.

"I _will_ kill him, I am just really tired. I can't train when I'm tired…and neither can I kill."

"Kovu did great for today, mother. He needs a break." The bright-furred lioness came up to them. He smiled at Vitani; he adored his sister.

"All right, you two can have your rest. We will continue at dusk. But I won't tolerate laziness _anymore_." Zira was annoyed, she wanted to attack Simba rather sooner than later. This took too much of their precious time. Even if Simba was aging with every moment, the same passage of time brought his daughter closer to her full strength, and gave his pride more time to prepare.

"You truly amaze me, Kovu. You are growing both bigger _and_ stronger by the day." Vitani remarked when they left the battlefield. "Who would have thought…"

"Yeah, I know. Who'd have thought I was able to grow from a useless little cub to a proud warrior?" He grinned, mocking himself. "Soon, my time will come and I will become King. The Outlanders back on the throne, just like Scar would have wanted."

His sister nodded. "You will make us all so proud when you destroy these cruel Pridelanders and take back what was ours all along!"

Kovu observed his sister Vitani. From a young and feisty cub she had become a strong, loyal lioness, who lived to serve her mother in any endeavour. Her bright electric-blue eyes were still full of life and her already pale fur was even lighter than when she was a cub. She had grown into a lioness that mother could be proud of. He smiled when he thought of that.

"What's so funny?" She asked him, a little annoyed.

He shook his head. "Nothing, really."

She raised an eyebrow. "You know mother doesn't allow us to focus on anything else besides your mission."

"I know…" He sighed. "Let's go hunt, I'm ready to take down an antelope or three."

* * *

The hunt went great; by the end, Kovu had caught three antelopes and two zebras, a major catch for a lion. Vitani only went for the zebras and caught two of them. She was the one that had to drag the carcasses to their cave in the Outlands.

"Dinner!" Kovu yelled at the lionesses. Zira loped in and gave him one of her rare satisfied nods.

"Well done, my son. You are a terrific hunter. If it weren't for you, we would all starve."

"Yugh." A groan came from the corner, alerting the world to his brother's presence. Nuka came up to him. "So, precious Kovu has done it again. Is there something that the _Chosen_ one _can't _do?"

"Shut it, Nuka. You owe him your dinner for today!" Vitani snarled, while she ripped flesh from a zebra's leg.

Nuka rolled his eyes at his sister and left the cave. "I can catch my own dinner," he mumbled before he vanished into the endless wastes.

After their unusually hearty dinner, Kovu had to train with his mother and her lionesses again. He didn't dislike his training; after all, it was for the greater good. But still he wished, deep in his heart where no one could ever see, that violence wouldn't be necessary to take over the Pridelands; that the vicious circle would end. But he knew there was no other way. He would stay loyal to Scar, as his mother requested, and take the throne by force.

Tonight's training wasn't the usual routine. Normally, Kovu had to spar with one or two lionesses while Zira instructed him how to pin them down so he could move in for the final blow. This would go on for hours and hours, until he beat the lioness that had pinned him down. Once, he hurt one of the lionesses by accident, and he felt terrible about it. But his mother was proud of him because he managed to hurt such a strong lioness in his training, for she was one of their best huntresses, meaning he was getting really strong now. But that wasn't what tonight's training was about.

"Tonight we are going to spy on the great King and his pride, my Prince."

"I can't wait." He replied coolly.

* * *

Nuka hated his brother. He hated how his little brother always got the most attention of their mother. He hated how 'Scar's heir' was so perfect and getting trained to become an equally flawless King. And he hated his brother's full mane, and that the termites never bothered _him!_

"Yergh, stupid termite," he mumbled agitatedly. "It's not fair! I'm the oldest, the smartest and the strongest. _I_should become King, Scar was _my _father!"

"Talking to yourself again, Nuka?" Vitani rolled her eyes at him. "When will you learn that you can never beat Kovu? Why can't you just be happy for our little brother?"

"Me? Happy for that _termite_?" Nuka narrowed his eyes. "He takes everything from us!"

"He will give us everything when this is all over!" Vitani shouted at him, getting irritated by her older brother's constant nagging and whinging. "He'll bring us a kingdom, with food, and water, and _freedom_. It'll be thanks to him that we'll leave this rotten place!"

"Yeah, right," he snarled in reply. "The _great_ Kovu will rescue us from it all, and he will be the hero of the day, _again_."

"Don't be so sceptical, Nuka. It's not like _you_ could do a better job or something." She hated the fact her older brother despised her younger one so much. Kovu had always been nice, or at least pleasant, to Nuka but the straggly lion never even tried to get friendly with his younger sibling. She had long since decided that Nuka was jealous.

Nuka did not consider himself jealous of that termite; he knew he was _better_. And it was impossible for him to see why his mother didn't see him as the better one. But what he wondered about the most was why his father didn't choose him? His own _father_…

"Did you manage to catch your own dinner anyway?" A seemingly innocuous question interrupted his thoughts.

"Of course I did," he lied. She didn't need to know he was starving. Later, when everyone was asleep, he would take his portion from the carcasses.

"Oh, really?" He could swear he heard suspicion in her voice. "What did you catch?"

"I already ate it," he retorted. "What's with all these questions?"

"All right, suit yourself. I'm out." Vitani looked at him and shook her head, before trotting out of the cave.

"Who cares anyway. I don't need you," he called out, even though she was long gone and he was all alone, laughs punctuating his voice. "I don't need anybody! Especially not termite Kovu!"

* * *

The route to Pride Rock was quiet and free from enemies, as always. Zira always chose her path carefully and only left for Pride Rock when she was sure that Simba or his lionesses weren't out. This seemed to be the case tonight; no animal was in sight. She smiled wickedly.

"Soon, he'll be coming for you, Simba!" She let out a maniacal whisper, "and there's nothing you can do…"

They came close to the pride now; she could smell Simba's strong scent, it made her stomach churn. She looked at her youngest son and remembered how nervous he once was about being this close to the giant rock. Nothing was left of that frightened little cub now. His green eyes, Scar's eyes, showed only hatred towards Simba and his pride now, and a cruel thirst for vengeance. Yes, she had trained him well; taught him everything Scar would have wanted him to know. But the fire in his eyes was his own, that was something that she could _not_ teach him.

They saw that the royal pride was preparing to go to sleep. Kovu growled softly when he saw an adolescent lioness sitting on top of Pride Rock. _Kiara_, Zira recognised the cubbish muzzle. She had grown, but she certainly hadn't become less gullible. Neither had she become a better hunter despite her newfound strength.

"This won't even take much effort!" She sneered. "You will gain her trust in no time. Simba, on the other paw, will be a lot harder."

"I'm aware of that." Kovu replied, still focused on the King's daughter. "When I will have _her _trust, Simba will follow, and when he does…" the hanging sentence sparked a devilish grin on the lioness' face.

"You really are magnificent." Zira gave him an approving nod. "You are going to fulfill Scar's dying wish and change us into Gods!"

It surprised her how much Kovu had grown to resemble Scar. They had the same dark mane, even though Scar's was a full black rather than brown. They also had the same dark fur and stubborn look on their faces. It was like they became one lion; one that was brave and had the courage to take down the one that had whatever he wanted. No, what he _deserved_. Kovu's eyes were emerald green, almost identical to those that Scar once had. And, the most important element, they both had the same black soul; both were capable of killing for what they wanted. She smirk returned when she realized that last part.

"I can't wait for that moment to arrive, Mother."

"Now Simba will finally meet his fate, just like we always dreamed of. My beloved Scar will be avenged and that murderous brute will receive his just punishment!" Zira couldn't have been happier. Kovu's training was almost done, and so their plan was almost set in motion.

"It will be a matter of days before Kiara starts her first hunt. And we'll be waiting for it. I have taught you all there is to know."

Kovu smirked. "I'm ready."


End file.
